Casket construction



Oct. 6, 1959 M. s. GASPARDO CASKET CONSTRUCTION Filed May 2, 1956 INVENTOR.

MEET/N S E'HE'PHFDU United States Patent 2,907,090 CASKET CONSTRUCTION Martin S. Gaspardo, Long Point, Ill.

Application May 2, 1956, Serial No. 582,128

1 Claim. (Cl. 27-8) This invention relates to caskets and particularly to improved caskets made of glass.

For health reasons and sometimes for religious reasons it is desirable that caskets be closed and sealed immediately after the body has been placed therein. When the corpse is diseased this is particularly desirable to insure that none of the members of the deceaseds family or any other persons attending the wake or funeral of the deceased be infected with disease germs.

Often, however, it is desirable for psychological reasons to be able to view the body of the deceased after placement in the coflin. It further is desirable that the cofiin be formed of materials which will not deteriorate and which will remain sealed indefinitely after burial.

Many materials of construction used in caskets heretofore are not capable of withstanding prolonged burial in the ground without deterioration. Accordingly, it has been necessary and customary in certain instance to provide concrete encasements or vaults which are expensive and difiicult to install. The only function the vault performs is to protect the coffin from various corroding chemicals and conditions in the soil which might eventually sufliciently impair the integrity of the cofiin or casket so that the cofiin is in efiect opened or at least the seal thereof is broken.

It further is desirable to prevent ground Water and the like from gaining access to the corpse particularly when the deceased died from a communicable disease. Even vaults and other cofiins used heretofore do not absolutely preclude the possibility of leakage although a large amount of expense and effort are directed to prevent leakage. Contamination of water supplies and the like results upon deterioration of the casket or coffin and/or the vault.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide an improved casket construction and particularly an improved casket in which glass and other chemically inert materials are the materials of construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a casket which can be hermetically sealed after the corpse has been placed therein and still permit viewing of the corpse if desired.

Still anotherobject of the invention is to provide a casket construction which will remain hermetically sealed indefinitely when placed in the ground and exposed to water and similar corroding influences.

In connection with the foregoing object, is a further object of the invention to provide a construction wherein a need for vaults or other protective device is eliminated.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. In the drawing wherein like reference numerals have been utilized to designate like parts throughout:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a casket made 2,907,090 Patented Oct. 6, 1959 in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the casket illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing;

Figure 3 is an end view of the casket illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary exploded view in perspective illustrating the closure for the casket of the present invention;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in horizontal section substantially as seen in the direction of the arrows along the line 5--5 of Figure 1 and illustrating a portion of the closure construction; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary View in vertical section substantially as seen in the direction of the arrows along the line 66 of Figure 5 and further illustrating a portion of the closure construction.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Figure 1 thereof, there is shown a casket or coflin generally designated by the numeral 10 made in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention. Casket 10 includes a receptacle 12 and an end or closure member 14. Receptacle 12 is formed of glass and preferably is'shaped by a combination of pressing and blowing operations as will be described more fully hereinafter. Receptacle 12. is shaped to provide a bottom wall 16 from which extends upwardly a pair of side walls 18 and 20. Joining the upper ends of side walls 20 is a top wall 22. Walls 16, 18, 20 and 22 form a receptacle 12 which is substantially rectangular in cross section although it is to be understood that each wall may be curved'slightly outwardly as is top wall 22 as viewed in the drawings. Closing one end of receptacle 12 is an end wall 24 which is formed integral with bottom wall 16, side walls 18 and 20, and top wall 22. Preferably wall 24 is curved outwardly as viewed from the top inFigure 2. v

The dimensions of the various walls are such as to provide sufficient room within receptacle 12 to receive a body and a suitable pallet or support therefor. 'For example receptacle 12 may be seven to eight feet long, approximately two .and one-half feet wide, and approximately two feet high. It has been found that a suitable thickness for walls 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 is between inch and one inch. The dimensions of the various walls may be greater or less as occasion requires and the thickness of the walls will depend upon the specific glass used and the overall'size of receptacle 12. The thickness of the various walls must be such as to 'provide the necessary mechanical strength, but should not be made unduly thick whereby unnecessarily to increase the weight of receptacle 12,

After the body has been deposited in receptacle 12, it is desirable hermetically to seal the open end thereof. To this end the end closure member 14 has been provided. Member 14 is also formed of glass and is shaped to conform to and close the open end of receptacle 12. Extending from one side 26 thereof is a plurality of locking lugs 28 which are adapted tocooperate with retaining members 30 formed on receptacle 12. More specifically four locking lugs 28 are provided. Two retaining members 30 are formed integral with Wall 18 to cooperate with two of the locking lugs 28 and two retaining members 30 are formed integral with wall 20 to cooperate with the other two of the locking lugs 28. Disposed between closure member 14 and the adjacent end of receptacle 12 is a gasket 32 which is shaped like the ends of walls 16, 18, 20 and 22. Gasket 32 may be made of some chemically inert material such as a synthetic resin. A preferred material of construction for gasket 32 is a synthetic silicon resin which is chemically inert and does not deteriorate when exposed to conditions encountered in the ground.

The construction and operation of the locking lugs 28 and the retaining members 30 is better illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawing. Referring to these figures it Will be seen that each locking lug 28 includes an attachment portion 34 formed integral with the main body of closure member 14. Attachment port-ion 34 is disposed substantially perpendicular to closure member 14 and has formed integral therewith and extending at right angles thereto a locking portion 36. Locking portion 36 has formed thereon a cam surface 38 which is disposed toward the main body of closure member 14 and is inclined downwardly away from member 14 as is best illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawing.

Retaining members 30 are formed integral with side walls 18 and 20 and extend toward the opposite side wall a distance slightly greater than the length of locking portions 36. The surface of retaining member 30 disposed toward end wall 24 is generally designated by the numeral 40. Surface 40 is also inclined downwardly and away from the open end of receptacle 12 and is adapted to lie against and fit with locking surface 38 on lugs 28.

Because of the inclination of surface 38 and 40 downwardly and toward end wall 24 of receptacle 12, closure member 14 is moved into tight sealing relationship against gasket 32 and receptacle 12 as closure member 14 is moved into position.

Closure member 14 is mounted upon receptacle 12 in the following manner. Gasket 32 is first placed in operative position. Closure member 14 is then lifted until locking lugs 28 are positioned above the corresponding retaining members 30. Closure member 14 is then moved inwardly toward receptacle 12 until the lower edge of locking surface 38 on lugs 28 is positioned behind surface 40 on retaining members 30. Closure member 14 is then moved downwardly so that surface 38 movesdownwardly with respect to surface 40. This action forces and moves closure member 14 toward re ceptacle 12 to form a close hermetically tight seal with gasket 32. Gasket 32 is preferably a friction material. The friction action of gasket 32 together with the weight of closure member 14 serve to hold closure member 14 in the closed position.

Receptacle 12 is preferably formed by a combination of press molding and blowing operations. The major portion of walls 16, 18, 20 and 22 and end Wall 24 are formed by the conventional blowing operations within a suitably shaped mold. The portion of walls 16, 18, 20 and 22 disposed toward the open end of receptacle 12 and particularly the portions of walls 18 and 20 which carry the retaining members 30 are formed by a press molding operation. In this manner receptacle 12 can be formed as an integral unitary structure. This results in a structurally strong finished casket.

Closure member 14 is preferably formed by a press molding operation so that locking lugs 28 are appropriately shaped and formed. Surfaces 38 and 40 on locking lugs 28 and retaining members 30, respectively, are first rough shaped in the molding operations and may thereafter be ground to obtain a close fit of closure member '14against receptacle 12.

Instead of providing a gasket 32 it is also contemplated that the ends of walls 16, 18, 20 and 22 and the side of closure member 14 disposed against these ends can be ground. Grinding of these surfaces would provide a structure which could be hermetically sealed without the use of gasket 32.

Casket 10 fulfills all the objects and advantages set forth above. More specifically, a hermetically sealed casket is provided with all the attendant advantages such a construction possesses. More specifically, disease germs in the body contained within the casket cannot escape whereby to infect people either directly or indirectly through contamination of ground water. Although hermetically sealed, casket 10 permits viewing of the body within if desired. All of the materials of construction of casket 10 are highly inert to conditions encountered in the ground and, accordingly, the integrity of casket 10 and the contents thereof will be preserved indefinitely. This also contributes to the prevention of contamination of ground waters. 7 Although a preferred embodiment of invention has been shown for purposes of illustration, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only as set forth in the following claim.

I claim:

A casket construction comprising a receptacle formed of glass and having an opening therein to receive a body through one end thereof, retaining members formed of glass and integral with said receptacle and positioned within said receptacle, each of said retaining members including an inwardly directed locking surface inclined downwardly and away fromthe opening in said receptacle, a closure member formed of glass for closing said one end of said casket, and locking lugs formed of glass and integral with said closure member and extending into said receptacle to cooperate with said retaining members, each of said locking lugs including an attachment portion formed integral with said closure member and spaced inwardly from the adjacent edge thereof and extending inwardly into said. receptacle, said attachment portion having a locking portion formed integral therewith and extending at right angles thereto outwardly toward the adjacent edge of said closure member, said locking portion having a cam surface thereon disposed toward the main body of said closure member and inclined downwardly and away from said closure member to cooperate with said locking surfaces on said retaining member, the weight of said closure member causing said cam surfaces to be moved downwardly across said locking surfaces whereby to move said closure member into sealed relationship with the adjacent surface of said receptacle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 430,997 Heinemann June 24, 1890 1,040,121 Bear Oct. 1, 1912 1,180,054 Leigh et a1 Apr. 18, 1916 1,464,458 Whartenby Aug. 7, 1923 1,607,772 Miller Nov. 23, 1926 

